Birth plan ideas:
*Women have had the screen removed so they can watch the operation, or have used a mirror to watch their baby being born, or have been helped to sit up a little so they can see their baby being born. We know of one woman who was helped by her surgeon to lift her baby out herself.
*You may want to make sure that the paediatric unit, resuscitation unit and weighing scales, where the baby is checked over at birth will be in theatre with you so that providing your baby is well (and most caesarean born babies are), he/she need never leave your sight or hearing.
*You can ask the midwife to give you a running commentary, and/or for music to be playing, or for quiet in theatre (particularly at the moment of birth). If you ask for quiet at the moment of birth then your voice can be the first voice your baby hears.
*You can ask for your baby to be delivered onto your chest, to discover your baby's sex for yourself rather than being told.
*You can ask to have photographs taken. Some people like photographs of the baby being lifted out of the incision (others don't!). You can also ask for one of the baby in the weighing scales - a good one because it shows the weight too.
*You can ask for the lights to be dimmed for a couple of minutes at the moment of birth. Babies are born with their eyes open so if the lights are dimmed and there is silence, yours can be the first face that comes into view and yours the first voice your baby hears.
*You can ask for your baby to be wrapped in a blanket and laid across your shoulder so you and your birth partner can 'baby gaze' while you are being sewn up - it's a wonderful distraction!
*You could choose a special soft blanket or towel for baby to be wrapped in (or to be draped over both of you during skin-to-skin). You could sleep with the blanket the night before your CS so that even if you can't hold your baby he/she will be wrapped up and still be able to smell his mother.
*You can delay having your baby washed, bathed or dressed until you are back on the maternity ward and have fed him or her for the first time.
*You can ask to be shown your placenta and have it explained to you by a midwife.
*If your baby is well there should be no reason why he/she should be separated from you in theatre or in the recovery room. Skin-to-skin contact should be facilitated and you should be helped to start to breastfeed when you want to.
*If you have a general anaesthetic you might want to give some thought to who should introduce your baby to you when you come around, and who (among family and friends) should be allowed to see your baby before you do if you are so unwell that meeting your baby is delayed.